The Unforgotten Son
by Rei Firestar
Summary: Neo-Queen Serenity gives birth to twins, a son and daughter, who both are heir to the throne. Resolution? Her son is given away. Years later, Rei's son and Usagi's daughter end up together. But what's this talk of incest? What's Sailor Pluto's problem?
1. Prolouge

Allo minna! This fic is kinda Man in the Iron Mask-ish, which you'll see as you go. Oh, and I'm not very educated in life in Crystal Tokyo so I had to make up a few things. Sorry ^^º  
  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon. If anyone's willing to trade, I'll give you this Twix bar for it...  
  
  
The Unforgotten Son  
By: Rei_Firestar  
  
  
Setsuna, as her Sailor Pluto alter ego, sauntered down the crystaline hallway with a solemn façade. The tip of her staff would hit the marble floor with every other step she took, causing a chiming echo to vibrate throughout the room. She was in the Grand Hallway, on her way to Neo-Queen Serenity's bedroom, where a 9-month pregnant queen awaited. She knew that the only other people who would be in the room would be King Endymion and the royal doctor. Pluto knew what they were expecting, and they were wrong.  
  
Very wrong.  
  
As she got closer to the Royal Bed Chamber, she closed in on a pair of women clad in beautiful dresses. She had seen them around the palace before, princesses of some sort she recalled, but knew they were not of the Imperial Court.  
  
"I heard that the Princess of Mars is pregnant, too. That's kinda funny, isn't it? A woman and her best friend pregnant at the same time? I bet their baby shower was a blast!"  
  
"Yeah! But I heard that Princess Rei, like, disappeared or something."  
  
"She's been locked up in her room for days. No one's seen her."  
  
"Do you think she's having...you know, complications?"  
  
Pluto stopped and gave them death glares.  
  
"Enough! If you are not of Queen Serenity's Imperial Court, then I suggest you leave this area at once."  
  
The two princesses took the hint and scurried away. Pluto watched them until they were out of sight, then continued toward her queen's bedroom. She quietly slipped through the doorway and closed it behind her. No one noticed her arrival, which was to be expected. They were too busy watching the arrival of someone else.  
  
"It's a girl!" the doctor proclaimed. King Endymion smiled widely at his daughter, but realized that his wife was not so happy.  
  
"Usako?" he affectionately questioned her by her old nickname.  
  
"It's not over...," she spoke softly, almost unbelieving. The doctor wrapped the newly born girl in a towel so that only her face showed and handed her to her father, then went to work delivering the next one. Both the king and queen looked utterly shocked. Pluto watched them from her corner of the room. She knew what was about to happen.  
  
A minute later the doctor re-emerged with another baby wrapped in a towel, same as its predecessor, in his arms.  
  
"Congratulations! Twins! A girl," he said nodding to the girl in Endymion's arms. Then, motioning to the one in his, claimed, "and a boy." The two royals looked as if they might faint.  
  
"Two!? I thought we were supposed to just have one! A daughter! I never knew there would be conflict to the throne!"  
  
"Endymion, hush. Can I hold them, doctor?"  
  
The doctor nodded and handed the queen her son. She cooed to him softly. Endymion handed her their daughter, at whom she smiled widely. The fact that they were crying loudly, as do all new borns, did not affect her at all. Pluto slowly walked toward the royals. Her staff hit the floor again as she walked, giving her away. They all looked at her, wondering how she had gotten there, but knew better than to question the senshi. She bowed her head slightly, which basically meant what she had to say was urgent since she didn't fall to one knee like she normally did.  
  
"Congratulations on your healthy children, my queen. Speaking of your children...I noticed that King Endymion realized the problem?"  
  
The king nodded. "There would be an incredible conflict over the throne. The Moonitian law, the law which Serenity governs, states that the first born, regardless of gender, claims the royal title. The Law of Earth, however, states that the first born male receives the throne, and that if no son is produced, it goes to the next closest male kin of the king."  
  
"So although you have a son, who by your ruling should take your place as king one day, your daughter was born first, giving her the birth-right."  
  
"Precisely."  
  
"Then you realize what must be done...?"  
  
The king lowered his head and sighed. "We must get rid of one of them."  
  
"NO!!" Queen Serenity screamed. Endymion was at her side in a single stride.  
  
"Sweetheart, listen to me. This is the only way. There is nothing that can be done."  
  
"Why not!?"  
  
"Because we rule by two different codes and both codes have equal power. Both sets of laws are of equal importance, but they disagree on which of our children should have the throne."  
  
"We can't just KILL our CHILD!!"  
  
"You wouldn't have to," Pluto claimed, speaking up for the first time since their arguement began. "I could take one of them away, give them to someone to raise, and never let them know of their birth-right. You would never see them again, but I could give you the comfort of knowing that they are safe. For while you can never interact with them again, I can keep a steady eye on them if you wished it."  
  
Endymion kneeled next to his wife's bed. "Sailor Pluto has a good idea. It will be better this way. No quarreling and bickering for all their lives. It would be sad for them to never know they had a sibling, but...it's the best thing we can do for them."  
  
Serenity was crying. She looked up from her husband and back to the Gaurdian of Time.  
  
"You'd make sure that-" she hiccuped slightly "-that they'd be placed in good, caring homes? Very well provided?"  
  
Pluto nodded. "The next question will be the hardest. Which child are you going to give up?"  
  
Serenity couldn't answer. Endymion rose to his feet.  
  
"Wait. I want them to both be named. Even if whichever one we choose, if their name is never used, at least we will have given them something."  
  
Serenity nodded and looked to her daughter. "We agreed long ago that our daughter would be named Usagi." She turned to her baby boy. "But what about our son?"  
  
Endymion sighed slightly as he took in the sight before him. His wife was lying on a bed with their son and daughter in her arms, trying to name them both only so that one could be taken from her.  
  
"How about..." he trailed off, then smiled and finished, "Motoki?"  
  
Serenity laughed softly. "You mean after the bartender from the arcade I used to hang out at when I was a teenager?" Endymion smiled and nodded. Serenity looked to her son. "Motoki it is."  
  
There was an awkward silence - even the babies stopped crying in this brief amount of time - before Endymion hesitantly stated, "It's time."  
  
Serenity shook her head. "I can't choose."  
  
Endymion lowered his eyes slightly, not wanting to have to choose either. He then looked to Pluto. "What do you think, Sailor Pluto?"  
  
She appeared to be concentrating for a minute or two, then she finally gave her answer, her eyes downcast.  
  
"The object is not to let anyone know what has occured here. No one can know. Not even the fellow senshi." She stopped and looked to the royal couple. They nodded in depressed understanding. She continued. "Because of her time traveling exploits, the senshi already know of your having a daughter. To have a son would drawn much unwanted suspicion. I believe it would be in the best interests of everyone if you chose your son."  
  
Endymion nodded and looked to his wife. She was still crying. She leaned in and kissed his forehead softly. "Goodbye, Motoki," she choked out in a hoarse whisper. The Time Senshi walked over and gently picked up the boy.  
  
"Everyone must be sworn to secrecy. This cannot be let known to anyone under any circumstance. Is this understood?" Pluto asked.  
  
"You have my word," the king spoke. Serenity could do nothing more than nod her head.  
  
"I will not tell a soul what has taken place here," the royal doctor agreed. Bowing her head slightly, Sailor Pluto turned to leave the room.  
  
"Wait!" Serenity called. Pluto looked back to her. "Remember how you said you would keep us informed about him?" Pluto nodded. "I don't want you to do that, Pluto. I want him to lead a normal life, one that does not include us." The senshi smiled and nodded, then turned and walked away, Motoki bundled up and asleep in her arms.  
  
Once out of the room, Pluto broke into a steady run, holding the newly born Motoki so that her running would hopefully not awaken him. The last thing she needed was a wailing newborn while trying to quickly sneak throughout the palace. She ran a good ways through the overgrown mansion before stopping at a large bedroom door, thankful that no one had seen her. It would've been very hard to explain why she was running around the palace holding a baby.  
  
Pluto didn't have to try the doorknob to know the door was locked. It had been locked for the past few days. She had come prepared, though. She held Motoki in the crook of her arm as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a skeleton key. She slipped it easily through the keyhole and with the paitence of a saint slowly turned the key so the person inside would not hear the door unlock. Once this was accomplished, she turned the doorknob then eased the door open in much the same paitent fashion she has used with the key. She had already closed the door again behind her by the time she was noticed.  
  
The room was very plain looking. It had one grand bed with a nightstand next to it. Upon the nightstand was a lamp, which was not in use, and a candlestick, which was. Sitting upright in the bed with her head bowed was a woman, crying softly. When she heard the door click shut, she raised her head and looked to the intruder. Tearstains shone like painful tattoos on either side of the young woman's face. Sailor Pluto could not help but cringe at the girl's shattered appearance and tattered heart.  
  
"Oh, Rei..."  
  
"Go away, Setsuna," she tried to yell. It came out more along the lines of a quiet, rough croak.  
  
"I have a proposition for you," she stated softly as she walked to her fellow senshi's bed. She handed Rei the bundled up child. Rei took it hesitantly. "Rei," she began quietly, "I know you lost a son two days ago, I saw it, but I'm the only one who knows. I'm giving you another chance. The boy you hold in your arms, his parents are unwilling to take care of him. I cannot tell you more about his parents only because they want him to lead a normal life. They had no idea who I was going to give this child to, so don't think this is about you. Also, I will not inform you of the day on which he was born. His exact age will remain unknown to you. I took care of him for a while myself, so only I shall know his exact age."  
  
'Well, I did take care of him...for about 5 minutes,' Pluto thought to herself as she continued.  
  
"Rei, I want you to take care of this child like he was your own. Don't tell him anything of his past and raise him as if you yourself had given birth to him. Tell everyone that you had him two days ago, and that he has been in here with you all the while. Details will come in time. What do you say, Rei? Will you raise this child?"  
  
Rei looked at the sleeping boy in her arms for a moment in silence, then looked back to Sailor Pluto.  
  
"Yes I will."  
  
Pluto smiled. She then reached into her pocket and pulled out an envelope. Although the king and queen did not personally give her this to give to the boy's new parents, she knew they would've wanted it.  
  
"The boy's parents only gave him one thing before I took him away. That one thing is in this envelope. Whenever, or if you ever, think the time is right, give it to him."  
  
Rei took the envelope and set it on her nightstand, then looked back to the woman in front of her.  
  
"Thank you. I think this is the best thing that could've happened to me," Rei claimed with a smile.  
  
Pluto smiled back. "What are you going to name him?"  
  
Rei thought for a second, then said, "what I was going to name my real son - Tohru."  
  
"All right." She kissed both the woman and child on the forehead. "Goodbye Rei, Tohru. Remember Rei, tell no one about this."  
  
Rei nodded and Pluto left the room, giving Rei some time with her new son. Rei got up out of bed and picked up a small blanket that she had received at her baby shower for her original son.  
  
'Stop thinking like that!' Rei scolded herself. 'This IS my original son, my only son.'  
  
She unwrapped the towel from around the baby boy and tossed it aside so that she could have it washed later. Rei smiled when she noticed her baby boy had hair.  
  
Dark, blackish colored hair.  
  
His hair had been covered by the towel earlier, so she hadn't noticed it until then. 'Good,' she thought. It would be easier to convince everyone he was her's if he looked like her.  
  
She wrapped little Tohru in his blanket and lay back down on the bed. He was still asleep after all this time. She was glad - she hadn't slept in two days and was definately ready for a nap. She held the baby close to her chest and closed her eyes, nodding off to sleep soon after.  
  
She never dreamed that while she was rejoicing over her new son, her best friend and secret love of her life was weeping while her husband shushed her quietly because they had just lost their own. 


	2. Chapter 1

Allo minna! You know, originally I wasn't going to finish this fic. I was just going to post the prolouge then let the idea collect dust, but the response to my fic has been so overwhelming that I figured "well what the hell?" and decided to continue it. I hope ya'll enjoy it!  
  
  
Disclaimer: *points to the prolouge* I wrote it already!  
  
  
The Unforgotten Son  
By: Rei_Firestar  
  
  
Chapter One  
  
  
~/*Ten Years Later*\~  
  
  
"Come on, Tohru, let's go!"  
  
Chibi-Usa ran ahead, looking over her shoulder a bit to see if her friend was following her. A dark haired boy the same age as the little princess chased after her laughing, his blue eyes sparkling with life. As they ran from sight, a small sigh escaped Neo-Queen Serenity's lips.  
  
"They're so cute together, aren't they?" she asked the woman next to her.  
  
"Yes, very adorable." Rei smiled to her queen. She took a seat on a wooden bench and patted the spot next to her. Serenity smiled and sat down next to her best friend. Over the years, the two had become very close. They had practically raised their children together, and it was like Mars princess - now queen - was always with Serenity. She even called her by Usagi when they were alone or with close friends.  
  
"Ever since Hotaru left a few months ago it's like they've been joined at the hip!"  
  
"Like they weren't already," Rei responded, provoking a giggle from the woman next to her. "Do you think they'll end up together one day, Usagi?"  
  
"I don't know. That'd be pretty nice though, don't you think?"  
  
"Yeah, I guess so."  
  
The two were silent for a moment before Rei stood and offered her hand.  
  
"Shall we?"  
  
Usagi (AN: I like that better than Serenity anyway, so nyeh :P) nodded and took her friend's hand. They headed back toward the palace, neither ever letting go of the other's hand.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Usa..." Tohru called his friend by his pet name for her. He looked behind all the trees and around the few boulders at the base of the small, grassy hill but couldn't find her. He sighed and put his hands on his hips. "Usa! Come on!"  
  
He heared giggling near a tree. Figuring he must've missed that tree during his search, he sneaked over and slowly peered around it. Then he jumped from around the tree.  
  
"Aha!"  
  
There was nothing there.  
  
"Whee!!"  
  
Before Tohru could comprehend anything, something large landed on his back. Something large and pink. He tumbled to the ground beneeth the sudden weight. The large pink fluff that landed on him giggled madly.  
  
"Ow! Get offa me!" he yelled.  
  
"Nuh-uh!" she managed to force through her giggles. Tohru groaned. Regardless of the heavy butt on his back, he managed to roll over, causing the person to fly forward and hit the dirt. He laughed as he sat up and dusted himself off. The kid who he sent to the ground did the same, facing him.  
  
"That was mean!" she yelled at him.  
  
"You're the one who jumped on my back, Usa!" he yelled back.  
  
Chibi-Usa 'harumphed' and crossed her arms, a mock pout playing her lips.  
  
"You're no fun, RuRu!"  
  
"Ewww! Don't CALL me that!" he proclaimed, acting like any 10 year-old boy would.  
  
"RuRu RuRu RuRu!"  
  
"Qui-iiiit," the boy whined. Chibi-Usa grinned.  
  
"RuRu RuRu RuRu RuRu RuRu R-"  
  
Tohru cut her off by springing from his spot and tackling her. Once he had her pinned down, Tohru began tickling her sides. Chibi-Usa thrashed about wildly, laughing and screaming for him to stop. She laughed so hard tears ran down her beet-red face. This sight alone cause Tohru to start laughing as well.  
  
"Toh-! Tohru! Stop! Sto-ooop!" she screamed.  
  
"You take it back?" he asked.  
  
She nodded rapidly and he quit. She pushed him off of her and he landed with a resounded thud when his butt his the ground. He was still laughing, as was she. Once calmed, the two children made idle chatter about friends and family for a while, then decided to play "Spill". Spill was a game the two, as well as Hotaru, had come up with, and was obviously named after the ever-popular phrase used in such a situation. Everyone in the group would take turns telling the rest about something they probably shouldn't know.  
  
Basically Truth or Dare without the dare.  
  
"Okay okay, your turn!" Chibi-Usa said, still giggling at the mental image she retained from telling him about the time she walked in on Ami grooving to the lastest boy-band hit.  
  
Tohru repressed his laughter and began to think. "All right. Hmm..." He snapped his fingers. "I got it. The other day I was going through Mom's diary-"  
  
"You read your mom's diary!? Wow! Were you scared?"  
  
"Eh, a little. This is the scary part though." He leaned foward a little. "There was a page in there about your mom."  
  
"What about my mom? Does she hate her?"  
  
Tohru tried not to laugh. "No, she LIKES her!"  
  
Chibi-Usa looked aghast. "You mean LIKE-likes her, or just likes her?"  
  
"LIKE-likes her!"  
  
"Eww...! Gross!"  
  
"What? Haruka and Michiru aren't gross."  
  
"Yeah, but those are our MOMS!"  
  
"Ew, you're right," Tohru said, making a face. "Just don't tell your mom, okay? My mom will kill me if she finds out I read her diary."  
  
Chibi-Usa nodded. "I won't tell."  
  
"Okay. Your turn then."  
  
"Umm...I walked in on Mommy and Daddy making out two days ago."  
  
"That's sick! You watched your parents make out!?"  
  
"No! I didn't WATCH them, I just turned the corner and kinda stumbled in on them."  
  
There was a two second long silence.  
  
"Well how far were they?" Tohru asked curiously.  
  
"Um, I think they had just started. They were just kissing and had their arms around each other."  
  
"Cool."  
  
Another brief silence.  
  
"I wonder what it's like."  
  
"What what's like?" Tohru asked his friend.  
  
"Kissing."  
  
"I bet it's fun."  
  
"I think so. I see people kiss all the time, so it must be."  
  
Silence.  
  
"You, uh...wanna try it?" Tohru asked, blushing slightly.  
  
"Okay...sure!" Chibi-Usa said with a smile, red coloring her cheeks. She scooted over next to her friend. "Um...what do we do?"  
  
"I guess we just...um...what were your parents doing?"  
  
"They had their arms around each other and they were kissing," she said with an affirmative nod.  
  
"Um, okay." After a few bumbles and almost getting their arms tangled, Tohru had his arms around her waist and Chibi-Usa had hers around his neck.  
  
"Now what?" Chibi-Usa questioned.  
  
"Now we kiss," Tohru stated. Chibi-Usa blushed a bit.  
  
"Have you ever done this before?"  
  
He hesitated but only for a second. "Yeah, sure I have!"  
  
She looked at him for a second then giggled. "You liar, you have not."  
  
"Of course I have!" he claimed, indignant even if he was lying. "Watch, I know exactly what to do."  
  
He leaned in to kiss her and the two ended up bumping noses. Tohru scowled, causing Chibi-Usa to giggle again. Tohru tilted his head slightly to the right and pressed his lips against hers. Both kids eyes fell closed.  
  
The held the kiss for about half a minute before they both pulled back and looked at each other.  
  
"Hey, that WAS fun!" Chibi-Usa said with a giggle, blushing a little. Tohru smiled.  
  
"Wanna do it again?"  
  
Chibi-usa smiled wider. "Okay!"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
It was just about sunset when the two children came walking back up to the palace hand in hand. Just as they were about to go seperate ways back to their end of the palace, Tohru stopped walking.  
  
"Wait."  
  
Chibi-Usa stopped and looked over her shoulder at him. "Yeah?"  
  
"Do you, uh..." Tohru scratched the back of his head nervously. "Do you wanna...you know...go out?"  
  
"You mean as in like boyfriend and girlfriend?" she asked with a smile. When he nodded she engulfed him in a big hug. "Of course!"  
  
"Great!" he said with a smile. "Well, I'll see you around, huh?"  
  
Chibi-Usa nodded. "See ya!"  
  
With that, the two parted ways, heading back to their own respected areas of the palace.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Chibi-Usa skipped merrily to her room, passing her mother on the way.  
  
"Hello mother," she said in a chipper, sing-songy tone, and for once, formal language. Not 'hi Mommy!' like she normally did. This did not go unnoticed.  
  
"Small Lady," she addressed her daughter, "why so happy this evening?"  
  
"Because! I've got a boyfriend! Tohru!"  
  
The girl continued on to her room, failing to notice her mother's slacked jaw. Very un-queen like, Serenity bolted through the door and down the hall, heading in the direction of Rei's room.  
  
She saw the girl breezing toward her about half way there.  
  
"I take it Tohru told you the same thing Chibi-Usa told me."  
  
"Yeah, and then some probably."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
The two women fell in step beside one another and began strolling idly down the stairs.  
  
"He told me that he asked her out after they kissed."  
  
"Kissed!? No, she didn't tell me that!"  
  
"I didn't think she would."  
  
"Well did he force it on her or-"  
  
"Usagi!" Rei half-screamed, glaring at her friend.  
  
"No no, I'm not accusing!"  
  
Rei sighed. "Yeah, I know. And no, they kissed each other, he said."  
  
Usagi nodded and stopped walking. They were standing at the bottom of the stairs now, in front of a large window facing the setting sun. The two women gazed out the window together silently for a moment. Usagi sighed a little, then chuckled and said, "Well, we did say it'd be nice if they got together."  
  
Rei laughed a bit. "Yeah. Yeah I guess so." She turned her gaze back to the woman beside her and smiled. Usagi smiled back. An orange hue shown in through the window, casting a slight tint against Usagi's form that only Rei could've noticed. It made her look angelic, even more so than normal. She felt her heart constrict in her chest and her breath left her body in an instant. She was so beautiful.  
  
'Oh, Usagi...'  
  
"Hi there," a voice called out.  
  
The two women jumped and faced the voice. They smiled at her.  
  
"Ah, Setsuna, finally home I see," the blonde stated.  
  
"Yes, and it's good to be here. Hotaru agreed, but considering the way she fell asleep when we got in, I think she missed her bed the most."  
  
The women laughed.  
  
"So how's that apprentice Time Gaurdian working out, Setsuna?" Rei questioned.  
  
"Great. I've been leaving her in charge while I'm here, or off doing scout things and such." She smiled. "And maybe taking the occasional vacation like I just did with Hotaru," she said with a wink. The Moon and Mars queens busted out laughing.  
  
"Who would've thought Setsuna of all people would blow off work for play?" Serenity managed between giggles.  
  
"You try working for a couple thousand years, you'll want a vacation too!"  
  
The two women smiled at their friend warmly. Setsuna had a sense of humor, she just rarely bothered to show it.  
  
"So, what have I missed?" Setsuna asked.  
  
"Well, you missed Chibi-Usa's first kiss."  
  
"Tohru's too."  
  
"Really!? Which one got kissed first?"  
  
"Um, it was about the same time." Rei said, casting her best friend a look out of the corner of her eye.  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"Yes. They shared their first kiss with each other."  
  
Setsuna looked aghast at her queen, her eyes nearly bugged out. "They WHAT!?"  
  
"Yeah. Now they're going out," Rei said with a smile. "Isn't that great?"  
  
Setsuna was silent at first, then she smiled and said, "Yeah, great." 'Oh God,' she groaned inwardly. "Um, hey, I need to go check up on a few things and unpack from the trip. I'll see you two later, huh?" Before they could answer, Setsuna turned on her heel and hurried out of the room. Once she was around the corner, she fell heavily against the wall. She cast her eyes upward, then closed them and groaned.  
  
"I think we have a problem." 


	3. Chapter 2

Allo minna! Wow, I've been really working on this fic, haven't I? I guess since I didn't go to sleep today I needed something to keep me entertained. I was going to skip ahead a few years, but I realized there were just too many details missing! So back to the 10 year-olds, heh. Well, hope you enjoy! ^_~ Oh, for like the first time, I put a suffix on one of the names. I've been trying to refrain from doing so (even though I'm using the Japanese names) but I just had to. Sorry! ^^º  
  
  
Disclaimer: *points to prolouge* Already wrote it!  
  
  
The Unforgotten Son  
By: Rei_Firestar  
  
  
Chapter Two  
  
  
Chibi-Usa and Tohru snuck quietly down the hallway hand in hand, but with Tohru trailing behind his newly aquired girlfriend. They had heard of Setsuna and Hotaru's return to the palace and planned to pay a visit to their best friend, even if she WAS asleep. For two ten year-olds, waking someone up was not difficult. As the two neared her bedroom door, Chibi-Usa looked over her shoulder at Tohru. She placed a finger from her free hand to her lips and let out a quiet "Shh!" at him. He nodded in acknowledgement.  
  
The girl let go of Tohru's hand, in need of both hands. As she slowly turned the doorknob with one hand, she placed the other near the edge of the door and slowly eased it open. Once it was wide enough, she poked her head through the crack. She spotted her best friend lying face down, fully clothed, on her still made bed, one arm dangling carelessly over the edge of the matress. Chibi-Usa repressed a giggle. 'She must've been really tired,' she thought to herself.  
  
"Well?" Tohru whispered as quietly as he could. Chibi-Usa looked back to him and nodded. The two slowly and quietly slipped through the door then closed it again behind them. Chibi-Usa couldn't help but smile when she saw the look Tohru got when he spotted Hotaru. His eyes softened and a small smile played his lips, making him look both caring and completely adorable at the exact same time. She gently tapped the boy's shoulder twice with the back of her hand. He looked at her questioningly.  
  
Chibi-Usa began speaking with hand-motions so as not to make a noise to jar her friend awake. She made a running motion with her first two fingers at the bed, then curved her arm to look like the pair of finger-legs were jumping over - or in this case, on to - something. Tohru grinned and nodded. Chibi-Usa counted to three with her fingers and the two burst into a run at the bed. Once at the foot of it, the two sprung over the edge and landed heavily on the bed. Hotaru bolted awake and sprang up with a scream. Chibi-Usa and Tohru were laughing.  
  
"Gah, you SCARED me!" the slightly older girl claimed. The two intruders sat on the bed, giggling. Hotaru grinned and enveloped them both in a big hug. "I missed you guys!"  
  
"We missed you too, Taru!" Chibi-Usa squealed and hugged back.  
  
"So, did you have fun?" Tohru asked as he too returned the friendly embrace.  
  
"Oh yeah, it was a blast! I'm so glad Setsuna-mama took me on a vacation. I hadn't been on one in a while."  
  
"I wish we coulda come," Chibi-Usa said a bit sadly. Tohru wrapped an arm around her shoulders.  
  
"It was a family vacation, Usa. You know, a mother-daughter thing."  
  
Chibi-Usa nodded. "Yeah I know, but that doesn't mean I didn't wanna go!"  
  
Hotaru giggled. "What, you don't think I came back without presents for you two, did ya?"  
  
"Presents? Ooo I love presents!" Chibi-Usa exclaimed. Tohru sighed and rolled his eyes, but Hotaru could tell her was excited too. She got up and went over to her bags, which she had somewhat thrown into the corner of the room when she came in. She sorted through her things until she found a dark duffle bag. She unzipped it and from within it pulled a plastic bag. She set the bag aside, zipped her duffle bag back up and shoved it back into the corner, then picked up the plastic one again and headed back to the bed where her two eager friends awaited. She took a seat next to them and began going through the bag.  
  
"Let's see here, what do I have? Hmm..."  
  
After a few seconds of rummaging, the girl pulled out a relatively small black box. She looked over it for a second as if trying to remember what was inside, then smiled and presented it to Chibi-Usa. "Here ya go," she said as she handed it to the happy young girl.  
  
Chibi-Usa half-snatched the box away from the older girl and removed the lid. Inside was a crystal statuette about four inches tall of a unicorn reared up on it's hind legs. It was breathtaking, and looked a mite expensive as well. Chibi-Usa gently lifted the little figure from the box and looked it over, awed.  
  
"Wow...it's beautiful..."  
  
"I thought you might like it," Hotaru stated with a satisfied smile. "I picked it out all by myself," she continued proudly.  
  
Careful not to break her new gift, Chibi-Usa threw her arms around the other girl's neck and embraced her in a big bear hug.  
  
"Thank you so much, Hotaru!"  
  
"You're welcome," she said with a smile. As Chibi-Usa went back to marveling her present, Hotaru went back to the bag and sifted through it until her hand emerged again with yet another box. This one was a good bit larger. "This one's your's, Tohru."  
  
The boy smiled, thanked her, and took the gift. He gasped as he lifted the top from the container. Inside was a really old looking copy of "Romeo and Juliet".  
  
"I thought it'd be nice to go with your collection, and I know you like Shakespeare."  
  
Tohru loved to read. Ever since he was old enough to talk, he would read. He really loved old books - "Classics" - from many years ago. He had a bunch of books in his collection - "Moby Dick", "A Tale of Two Cities", "The Three Musketeers", "Gone With The Wind", "The Time Machine", "Last of the Mohicans", "Little Women", "The Odyessy", "Treasure Island", "Lord of the Rings", "Pride and Prejudice", "Tom Sawyer", and that's just a start! - but of all of those books and all those writers, his favorite was William Shakespeare. He already had "MacBeth", "Othello", and "Hamlet" in his collection and had been searching everywhere for a copy of the famed "Romeo and Juliet". He looked to Hotaru teary-eyed then, following the example of his girlfriend, enveloped the girl in a tight hug.  
  
"Oh thank you, Hotaru! I've been looking EVERWHERE for this!"  
  
"You're welcome, Tohru," she said, smiling warmly to him. She watched as the boy picked up the book and thumbed through the pages, skimming a few of them lightly as he went. She smiled wider at the joy she had brought. With that, she returned to her plastic bag.  
  
"I'm starting to feel like Santa Clause," she stated absently, provoking a giggle from both of her friends. She reached in her other hand as well, then lifted the bag at her friends in a silent plead for them to take the bag off. With another giggle, Chibi-Usa reached up and pulled the sack off of her friends hands. She revealed two teddy bears, one in each hand. One of them was pink and the other was black.  
  
"They reminded me of you," she told the two. She looked at Tohru. "I know you're not into dolls much, but-"  
  
"No, they're cute," he said, taking the black one. "This for me?" he asked, motioning with the bear. Hotaru nodded and he smiled, then began to examine it. Chibi-Usa practically pounced on the pink one and hugged it close to her chest.  
  
"Awwww it's so cute!" she exclaimed loudly. "I'm gonna name it Tohru, so I can cuddle with it at night!"  
  
Tohru blushed, but hid it with an insult. "Don't name that thing after me! It's pink!"  
  
"Well too bad, RuRu, I'm naming him after you, so nyeh!" she said, sticking out her tongue. Tohru rolled his eyes, disgusted and indignant (or at least appearing that way).  
  
"Did I miss something..?" Hotaru hesitantly asked the two. They looked at her confusedly (which was quite amusing since Chibi-Usa still had her tongue sticking out at Tohru).  
  
"Miss what?" Tohru asked.  
  
"That's what I'd like to know. Usa," she addressed the girl by the affectionate nickname she stole from Tohru. The girl stuck her tongue back in her mouth and paid attention. "Why did you say you were going to name your teddy bear Tohru so you could cuddle it at night?"  
  
"Oh yeah! We didn't tell you! Tohru and I are going out!" Chibi-Usa said, snuggling up to the boy so that her back was pressed to his chest. He draped his arms around her shoulders and, since he was taller than his sweetheart, laid his chin atop her head.  
  
"Really!?" she said looking from the girl to the boy and back. "Wow, that's so cool!"  
  
Chibi-Usa nodded furiously. Tohru sported a small smile and very faint blush.  
  
"Yeah, and we kissed too!"  
  
Hotaru giggled childishly and looked at Tohru, who blushed a deeper shade of scarlet.  
  
"Well I'm very happy for you both."  
  
They smiled.  
  
"Thanks, Hotaru."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Sailor Pluto hurried through the fog surrounding her toward the Time Gate, all sorts of thoughts running through her head. Chibi-Usa and Tohru kissed? And now they're going out!? But they were brother and sister! Not like they knew that, but she did, and she didn't like this development one bit.  
  
When she seperated the two siblings at birth, she knew she was taking a risk by giving one of them to Rei. She didn't think the consequences would be this immense, however. She figured they might become friends, but incest was definately far from her mind as far as the large problems that would ensue.  
  
For the first time in her life, Sailor Pluto could honestly say she had made a mistake.  
  
A big ass mistake.  
  
It wasn't entirely her fault, or so she told herself. She had peered into the future to make certain of her decision and this was definately not in it.  
  
"Ugh, how could this happen!?" she screamed aloud as she neared the Gate. "The future said nothing about THIS!"  
  
"You, of all people, should know that the future is never set in stone."  
  
Sailor Pluto whirled around and came face to face with a woman about her height with long, crimson colored hair and eyes almost just as red. She was clad in an outfit similar to Sailor Pluto's and held a staff in her hand almost an exact replica of the Time Key.  
  
"Meikyu, you startled me."  
  
Meikyu was the apprentice Time Gaurdian forementioned in a conversation between Rei, Serenity, and Sailor Pluto in her natural Setsuna form. She had been sent from another galaxy and from a higher order that only Sailor Pluto would know of. Needless to say, Meikyu's presence was not to be questioned. Meikyu's expression was that of a slate, which was quite unlike her. Normally when Pluto laid eyes on the girl she had a large smile on her face and her eyes were brimming with life. Now her image was unsmiling and her eyes were cold as ice. She also looked a little sad, and maybe just a little...mischievous?  
  
"Meikyu..?" Sailor Pluto questioned.  
  
"Sailor Pluto," the woman began, "when I was originally sent to you 6 months ago, I did not reveal to you my true purpose. I decided to wait until the right time, and I do believe that time has come."  
  
"For what?" she asked, with an edge of both fear and annoyance.  
  
"Sailor Pluto," she said, raising her staff. It began to glow with light the same color crimson as its owner's hair. The light then shot from the staff and engulfed Sailor Pluto's body, lifting her about a foot from the ground. "As of this moment, you are stripped of your ability to control time or anything of its likeness. Your banishment period is that of seven years. I will take over during those seven years, preforming your duties steadfastly."  
  
The light that enveloped the senshi began to whirl around her and finally to bore into her. She could feel her power over the Time Gate being ripped away from her body in a quite painful fashion. They more of the power the light drained, the more excruciating the sensation became until finally Sailor Pluto could no longer stand it. She screamed with all her might just as the light faded away and she was dropped to the ground on her knees.  
  
Sailor Pluto looked up to Meikyu. She had her pinky finger inside her ear and was shaking it around. She removed her hand from near her face and blinked a few times. Sailor Pluto could've sworn she heard the girl utter a quiet 'Damn' under her breath. Sailor Pluto blushed unconsciously. When Meikyu realized she was being watched, she quickly cleared her throat.  
  
"You will now be sent back to the time from which you came. You will live the next seven years among your friends and fellow senshi." Meikyu grinned. "Think of it as a seven year vacation. In fact, maybe that's what you should tell them. I don't think they'd handle it too well if they knew you lost control over the Time Gate, and I really don't want to turn around one day and see a large group of senshi ready to kill me so you can have your position back. I don't think my king would like that much either."  
  
Sailor Pluto nodded dumbly. She knew better than to cause a huge disturbance, especially with another galaxy. They were all at peace now and she hoped that it stayed that way.  
  
The Gates of Time slowly began to open, revealing the bright light it always does. Meikyu nodded to it.  
  
"Time to go, Setsuna," she addressed her by her real name. Taking the hint, Sailor Pluto stood and detransformed before slowly entering the time portal.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Setsuna wearily trudged through the hallways of the palace. Seven years!? This could not have come at a worse time. She could now easily rule out the possibility of going back in time and never giving the male sibling to Rei. There was another pitfall as well. Setsuna had never lived life without knowing what was going to happen.  
  
Now she was going to have to.  
  
'Damnit!' she screamed mentally. 'This is completely new to me! I don't like not knowing what's going to happen. It scares me. Has it really been that long?' She sighed aloud. 'Yes it has, hasn't it? But that's not the biggest concern here. I can't come clean about Tohru's past, at least not yet. I'd have to have the biological as well as the adoptive parent or parents consent first, and I think telling Serenity that her son and daughter are currently involved in a fling would have some negative effects on her mind.'  
  
Setsuna then stopped dead in her tracks and snapped. 'That's it!' she thought. 'Please, no one can expect to find true love at age 10. This is all just a fling! I'm sure if I give it time, it will die out on it's own.' Setsuna nodded, pleased with herself. However, she knew this could take a while, and she really didn't look forward to watching those two be so close.  
  
A faint giggle caught the woman's attention. She looked over and noticed she had stopped right outside Hotaru's door. Curious, Setsuna eased the door open and peered inside.  
  
Hotaru, Chibi-Usa, and Tohru all sat on Hotaru's bed, giggling. Setsuna could see the gifts Hotaru had bought for the two lying about, a bit haphazardly perhaps but realtively safe from harm. Hotaru was chatting away happily toward the couple, not phased in the least of their current position. Tohru had his arms around his new girlfriend's shoulders as she leaned back into his embrace. Tohru's chin rested atop the girl's head.  
  
'Well, at least his arms are around her shoulders and not-'  
  
She stopped in mid-thought as Tohru's arms fell from the girl's shoulders to her waist. He also leaned down slightly so that his chin now rested on her right shoulder. Setsuna sweatdropped at how he practically read her mind. However, neither he nor Chibi-Usa took their eyes away from their chattering friend. It was like it was natural, and they'd only started going out a few hours ago!  
  
Setsuna eased the door closed, then silently and swiftly headed toward her room. Once through the door she walked straight to her bed and fell face down on top of it. She groaned into the matress and pulled one of the pillows over her head. She needed to sleep. She needed to get away, even if just for a few hours.  
  
A few hours escaping her problems was all she really needed. 


	4. Chapter 3

Allo minna! Sorry this took so long, but school just started, so I've been a bit busy. I'm a freshman this year.. -_- Gomen nasai for making everyone wait ^^º Anyway, I'm skipping around a bit, I know, but I'm about to fast-forward into the future a little further. It's time the inevitable took place. Yes...but even I don't know how this is going to turn out in the end, so this'll just be fun for us all! I bet it'll be one hell of a ride though, ne? ^_~  
  
  
Disclaimer: *points to prolouge* It's there, trust me  
  
  
The Unforgotten Son  
By: Rei_Firestar  
  
  
Chapter Three  
  
  
~/Five Years Later\~  
  
  
Five years.  
  
Five FUCKING years, and those two were still together!  
  
Needless to say, Setsuna was not a happy camper.  
  
She had decided it would be easiest to just let the feelings between Chibi-Usa and Tohru dwindle back down to friendship. No one could expect to find true love at 10, almost 11 years-old. At least she didn't think so. That didn't stop those two, though. If anything, they grew increasingly closer to one another over the years.  
  
The years? Oh yes, the years. The past five years of Setsuna's life had been the bane of her existance. She was frightened of having to live without knowing what would happen at first, but she just assumed she'd get used to it after a while and those feelings would go away. It didn't quite happen that way - rather than feel better with each passing day, she instead grew more and more paranoid. It had been a year ago almost that she finally began to accept living with the unknown.  
  
She had told everyone that one of Meikyu's tests of apprenticeship was to gaurd the Time Gate alone for seven years. It worked, thank God. No body questioned her about how dangerous a test it would be, and she was glad. She wanted to keep things as simple as she possibly could. She had enough problems to deal with.  
  
The icing on top of the cake, however, was obviously having to watch Chibi-Usa, who was almost as close to her heart as Hotaru, date her brother without her knowing who it was. She knew that this relationship would end in tears for someone, and it was only a matter of time until then.  
  
Setsuna could now only hope for the best...  
  
But she was expecting the worst.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Usa! Usa, where are you!?"  
  
Tohru ran a hand through his dark shaggy hair and blew upward, causing a few of his bangs to flutter. He looked back and forth through the trees but could find no trace of his girlfriend. He swore sometimes that she never really matured past 10 years old. She still loved to hide from him.  
  
He sat down on a rock, tired of wandering around. He bent over a bit so that his elbows rested on his thighs and his chin set upon his interlocked fingers. He sighed slightly and looked around as much as he could without sitting up again.  
  
A pair of dainty arms slid around his waist suddenly, startling him a bit. He felt someone lay their head on his back. He smiled and laid his hands on top of their's as he sat up a little.  
  
"Boo," said a feminine voice. Tohru craned his head and looked over his shoulder. He was greeted by a mass of long, pink hair. He smiled.  
  
"Hey, Usa."  
  
She looked up at him and smiled, then leaned up and kissed his cheek.  
  
"Happy birthday, sweetheart," she said, smiling wider. "Sweet Sixteen has come at last."  
  
He smiled back. "Eh, don't worry. You'll get your's soon enough."   
  
She giggled and let go of his waist. She walked around so she was in front of him and sat at his feet. She smiled up at him and said, "So, what do you want for your birthday this year?"  
  
"A car would be nice. I just got my liscense so my own car would be cool."  
  
"I thought my mom gave you one?" she questioned. He shook his head.  
  
"She gave my MOM one. At least we have two cars so I can get around by myself."  
  
Chibi-Usa nodded.  
  
"Speaking of your mom, how's she doing? I think I need to pay her a visit."  
  
"Oh she's doing well. She's pretty happy right now because Daddy just got home from a month-long business trip."  
  
"That's nice."  
  
"Yeah. It's nice having Daddy home."  
  
"I bet," Tohru said just a little sadly. Chibi-Usa picked it up.  
  
"Something the matter?"  
  
"Nah. Sometimes on my birthday I think about my dad. Mom never told me who my dad was."  
  
"No one knows who he was except her. She doesn't tell anyone. Mother doesn't even know, and you know how close they are."  
  
Tohru laughed slightly. "Yeah, I know. It's kind of strange, isn't it? We both know my mom is in love with your mom, but your parents are completely oblivious."  
  
"She hides it well. We wouldn't have even known if you hadn't read her diary all those years ago."  
  
"Yeah, but once we found out, it was pretty obvious. I mean, just watch how my mom acts when she's with your's. It's almost funny."  
  
"Actually, have you seen the way my mom acts? It's like she likes her too."  
  
"Doesn't that bother you?"  
  
Chibi-Usa shrugged. "Whatever makes her happy. I mean, I know she loves Daddy, and if they got divorced or something I'd be upset, but if Mother was happy, I'd be okay with it."  
  
"Well there's one good thing about them not being together."  
  
"What's that?"  
  
Tohru grinned. "If they were together, then we couldn't be together."  
  
Chibi-Usa grinned too. "Point taken. You ready to head back?"  
  
Tohru nodded and stood. He offered his hand to his girlfriend who took it and hauled herself to her feet. Hand in hand, the two began to make their way back to the palace. Once on the palace grounds again, Chibi-Usa tugged Tohru her direction rather than letting him go back to his end of the building.  
  
"Where are we going?" he questioned.  
  
"You said you wanted to pay her a visit. What better time than now?" she answered with a grin. He smiled and they continued on down the path. The two began to chat idly over a few things, but were interupted by a deep, feminine voice calling out, "Hey squirt!"  
  
The two looked up from their babblings and discovered Haruka and Michiru walking up to them, Haruka with her arm around her wife's waist. Michiru smiled as they neared.  
  
"Ah, Tohru, I haven't seen you around in a while. How are you?"  
  
"Pretty good, yourself?"  
  
Michiru nodded as a response. Haruka smiled at the boy.  
  
"Big day today, isn't it?" she asked. He grinned and nodded. Haruka grinned as well, and said addressing the two, "Well, Chibi-Usa's birthday isn't for another two days, so she isn't legal yet. Don't worry, in two days you two can finally fu-" She was cut off by Michiru's swift hand clamping itself over her mouth. Due to the blushes the teens adorned, though, it was pretty obvious they got her message regardless. Haruka smirked to herself behind the hand, silently claiming victory.  
  
Michiru tugged Haruka a few steps forward and the two began walking again. "We'll see you two later, okay? Happy birthday, Tohru!" Haruka nodded as if saying the same thing. Tohru thanked them, and they headed off on their merry way. Chibi-Usa and Tohru did the same.  
  
It wasn't much later that the two were standing at Neo-Queen Serenity's bedroom door, waiting to be beckoned inside. "Come in," a feminine voice called out, and the two teenagers entered the room. Serenity was sitting on her bed while Endymion stood near her, messing with his cape. They both smiled at the kids.  
  
"Well, lookie here. It's the birthday boy. How are you doing?" Endymion asked, straightening his vest.  
  
"Pretty well, Mr. E. It's good to see you again, but it looks like you're getting ready to leave again?" Tohru questioned.  
  
"Actually-"  
  
"Daddy..." Chibi-Usa groaned.  
  
He held up his hands in defense. "Hey, it's just for one night. I'm going to a dinner in Paris. You like French food?"  
  
"French fries count?" Tohru butted in with a smirk.  
  
Endymion chuckled. "You tell me. Either way, after dinner-"  
  
"Wouldn't it be more proper to call it supper?" Chibi-Usa asked.  
  
"Dinner, supper, ta-may-to, ta-mah-to," the king shrugged. "After supper, if that makes you happy, we have a small meeting. I'll be catching a plane right after that. I'll only be in Paris for four hours."  
  
"When will you be back, sweetheart?"  
  
"Tomorrow night. Time zones are murder." Endymion checked his watch. "My plane leaves at 4:30. I must take my leave." He leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on his wife's lips. "Goodbye, dear." He came over and kissed his daughter's forehead. "Be good." Endymion then turned to Tohru. "Happy brithday," he said as he stuck out his hand.  
  
"What, I don't get a kiss?"  
  
The king laughed and patted the boy's shoulder. Then, without another word, he left the room. Serenity sighed slightly at his departure, then turned to the kids.  
  
"So, did you two want something?"  
  
"Nah, just dropping by to hang out," Tohru responded, placing his hands in his pockets. He looked over Serenity's outfit and almost pitied her. It seemed everyone in the palace was dressed in normal clothes except the king and queen. She must've had a good dozen dresses that were all designed the same because it looked as if she was constantly wearing that one white dress. The same with the king, Tohru noticed. He looked over at Chibi-Usa and was glad she rebelled against such a strict dress-code.  
  
"Ah, well that's nice. It's been a while since you paid me a visit."  
  
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Sere."  
  
'Mr. E and Mrs. Sere' were the nicknames he'd given the royal couple. He had stopped calling them 'Your highness' several years ago - at their request, believe it or not.  
  
"That's okay," she said with a laugh. "So, sixteen at last. Are you happy about that?"  
  
"Sure am. I'm hoping my mother got me a car. I'd really like a car."  
  
"I bet."  
  
"Cars make good presents. I like presents."  
  
Serenity laughed and looked over at her daughter. "Not very subtle, is he?"  
  
Chibi-Usa grinned in response, but Tohru took on a hurt appearance.  
  
"Did you expect me to just come out and demand a gift?"  
  
"You might want to try that with your mother," Serenity suggested. "She'll drag it out forever if you don't, trust me."  
  
"Mother's changing the subject," Chibi-Usa stated in sing-songy innocence.  
  
Serenity mock glared at her daughter then smiled and picked up what looked like a shoe box covered in silver wrapping paper off of her bedside table that Tohru had failed to notice earlier. She patted the spot on the bed next to her. Tohru sat next to her and Chibi-Usa sat next to him. He lifted the top off of the box and peered inside.  
  
"Wow..!" he said, lifting it's contents. It was a book, and a thick one to boot. On the hard cover the title was engraved: 'The Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allen Poe.' "Thank you, Mrs. Sere!" he said and embraced the woman. She smiled and hugged him back.  
  
"You're welcome, Tohru. I'm glad you like it. You're like a son to me." She grinned. "And I'm sure one day you will be - at least a son in law. Oh, wouldn't that be fun?"  
  
The two teenagers looked at one another and blushed slightly. Despite his blush, Tohru's eyes held aloft a different expression. 'It wouldn't be for Mom.'  
  
Several hours later, just as the sun was about to set, Tohru decided it was time to take his leave. Chibi-Usa followed him from the room, claiming she had a birthday present for the boy herself. The teenagers stopped outside the girl's bedroom door and she took her lover's hands. He smiled down at her.  
  
"So, what's this present you said you had for me?"  
  
She grinned. "This."  
  
Chibi-Usa leaned in and kissed her boyfriend passionately. He hesitated in surprise for only a split second, then returned the kiss with his own bountiful fire. He took a few steps foward, pressing the girl's back against the wall. The kiss intensified when Chibi-Usa slid her tongue past Tohru's lips and into his mouth. As she reached a hand up and tangled her fingers in his hair, he slowly ran his hand up under the front of her shirt. She groaned into his mouth, making it pretty obvious what his hand was doing under there.  
  
And this was exactly the scene Setsuna was met with when she turned the corner.  
  
"Hey!" she screamed at them. A few long strides and she was almost right between them. "What are you doing!? Break it up, you two!"  
  
The two pulled apart, but not as quickly as Setsuna had wanted them to. Tohru grinned down at his girlfriend, who giggled and turned to enter her room. With a quick wink to Setsuna, Tohru broke into a run toward his mother's room. Setsuna felt her stomach churn slightly.  
  
'I hate this.'  
  
Forcing herself to calm down, Setsuna turned around and headed back down the hall a little ways. In her hurry to break the two teenagers apart, she had gone right past Serenity's bedroom.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Tohru slowed his run down to a walk as he entered the hallway to his mother's room. He wondered briefly about Setsuna and why she was so mortified to find them making out. The thought brought him to notice that she had never really approved of their relationship, but he never understood why. 'Maybe I'll ask her about it later,' he told himself.  
  
Tohru stopped outside his mother's bedroom door and grinned. He flung it open and entered the room grandly, his arm's spread wide, his gift from Serenity in his right hand.  
  
"All right, where's my car?" he demanded playfully.  
  
His expression changed when he saw his mother sitting at the foot of her bed, head bowed and fingers tracing an envelope. His brow knitted in a mixture between confusion and worry and he walked over to her.  
  
"Mom?" he questioned, sitting down on the bed in front of her. He set his book aside and placed his hand on her shoulder. "You okay?"  
  
Rei let out a soft sob and wiped her eyes before looking up at him. When she met his eyes, she looked back down. "Tohru, I..." she trailed off.  
  
"What is it?" he questioned softly.  
  
"I...Tohru, you...you're not my real son..."  
  
The boy's jaw went slack. "What?" he asked, not really believing what he had heard. Rei held the envelope out to him. He took it in both hands shakily and fumbled over trying to open it.  
  
"Sixteen years ago, a woman brought you to me," she tried to explain as Tohru continued to try and force the envelope open. She did her best not to let her voice break as she spoke. "She told me that your real mother and father couldn't take care of you. I had lost a son, about two days before she showed up. She told me to take care of you as if you were the son I lost and to never tell anyone about it. I don't know what's in that envelope, but the woman told me to give it to you. It's a gift from your real parents."  
  
Tohru finally managed to rip the top off the envelope and pull out the sheet of paper inside. There was only one word written on it.  
  
Motoki.  
  
"Motoki..? Is that...my real name?"  
  
"Son, I'm-"  
  
"No!" he yelled, jumping to his feet. Hot tears filled his eyes and it was all he could do not to let them fall. "I'm not your son! You LIED to me, for SIXTEEN YEARS! How can I forgive you for that!? You are NOT my mother, and I am NOT your son! I'm not Tohru!" The boy tore the sheet of paper in his hands into two halves and dropped them, letting them flutter to the ground slowly. "But I'm not Motoki either...I'm nobody..."  
  
Rei went to stand and embrace the boy, but he stepped away from her.  
  
"You stay away from me..." he said, pointing a finger at her accusingly. "Stay AWAY from me!" With that, he turned on his heel and bolted from the room.  
  
"Tohru, wait!" Rei yelled after him, but he was already gone. Tears ran anew down her face. Knowing she couldn't catch the boy, epsecially since she had no clue as to where he was going, she decided to find Setsuna. She headed toward Serenity's room in a dead run. It was time for their weekly meeting, and she knew that's where Setsuna would be. 


End file.
